[The clinical laboratory training after the graduate in local training hospital setting]

As clinical training has become a compulsory element of the training of physicians, all doctors are now required to undergo training in basic abilities of diagnosis and treatment. Clinical training has become possible in local medical organizations as well as university hospitals and large hospitals. There are full-time clinical pathologists in the laboratory staff of large hospitals, but they have little time for clinical trainees in the present educational system in the field of clinical laboratory. In mid-size and small hospitals, there is no clinical pathologist at the central diagnostic and treatment division, and clinical laboratory technicians are expected to play roles of trainers. It is important for the training administrator to prepare an environment in which clinical trainees can learn the selection of examinations, execution of examinations, interpretation of results, and actual handling of patients and, particularly in the execution of examinations, to cooperate with the director of the examination division and see that trainees can learn the necessary skills that they must acquire. The training administrator must also formulate a program to help clinical trainees to develop the abilities necessary for them to function as a member of team care. Such a program must not only be effective for the training of physicians but also contribute to the development of laboratory technicians and to improvements in the quality of medical care that is provided.